Nuclear Power Plants and People
By Dr Arvind Kumar
Nuclear catastrophe wrought by nuclear power plants recently in Japan’s Fukushima has brought into focus the location of these nuclear plants in proximity of densely-populated areas and safeguard measures being adhered to thereby. Recent research has found that two-thirds of the world’s 211 power plants each have more than 172,000 people living within a 19-mile radius. That’s more than the population around Fukushima. Indeed, 21 plants have more than one million people living within 20 miles, and six have more than three million. Nuclear power plants are often located in highly populated areas. That’s because they were designed to provide electricity for people. And the closer the plants are to those people, the less energy required to get that power there. So, just how close are these plants to people? And how many people are we talking about?
The KANUPP plant in Karachi, Pakistan, has the most people living in its immediate vicinity: 8.2 million within 19 miles. It’s followed by Taiwan’s Kuosheng plant with 5.5 million people and another Taiwanese plant, Chin Shan, with 4.7 million. The two operating plants in California include San Onofre, which has 610,000 people living within 19 miles, and 6.87 million within 47 miles. Diablo Canyon, near San Luis Obispo, has a lower population density nearby: 160,000 within 19 miles and 470,000 within 47 miles. In the aftermath of Fukushima tragedy, a kind of “culture of safety,” including the quality of maintenance and training, the competence of the operator and workforce and the rigor of regulatory oversight etc., needs to de developed for the safety of the people.
